diymy Chapter 21: Imitating the Past of the Wanli Era, Military Innovation
Chapter 21: Imitating the Past of the Wanli Era, Military Innovation
The Fengtai military camp was a hive of activity during the winter.
More than 20,000 new army soldiers are slowly shedding their rural air in this newly built camp, which still looks rather simple in many ways.
Huang Degong was extremely busy, rigorously training the new recruits according to the new military regulations and rules drafted by the emperor.
Meanwhile, Emperor Chongzhen, who was increasingly staying overnight at this camp, was sitting in his imperial tent, enjoying the warmth of the charcoal fire as Cao Huachun reported on various matters in the palace.
At this time, another eunuch, Wang Chengen, was standing beside Cao Huachun.
When he heard that Yang Sichang and the other cabinet ministers had handled the routine government affairs properly and that the inspection in the capital was progressing "smoothly," Chongzhen nodded slightly.
As for the impeachments and remonstrances from those upright officials, Emperor Chongzhen simply ignored them.
If we really listened to them and went back to the old situation where we had to do everything ourselves and were constantly hampered, then the historical records would say it was good, but the Ming Dynasty would still be doomed.
What's wrong with Emperor Shenzong?
Despite not attending court for decades, my grandfather, who was the only one in this body, had a far greater grasp of the government and a greater influence over the local areas than the emperors Tianqi and Chongzhen.
The key is to firmly grasp personnel, military, and financial power.
With these three powers, everything else can be dealt with gradually. As for whether or not to attend court, that is merely a formality and is of no importance.
Emperor Chongzhen had no doubt about Yang Sichang's ability to handle government affairs; the only problem was the personnel arrangements within the inner court.
Thinking of this problem, Chongzhen couldn't help but look up at Cao Huachun, who had caused it.
His face was slightly pale, and his brows showed signs of long-standing fatigue; he looked quite haggard.
Since the end of last year, although Cao Huachun was still able to perform his duties, he repeatedly submitted memorials requesting retirement, citing poor health and lack of energy as reasons for requesting to return to his hometown to live out his retirement.
Emperor Chongzhen of the previous life tried to persuade him to stay several times, but finally allowed him to retire in February of the twelfth year.
It seems that the history of this matter has not changed much now, and I can only keep this trusted minister until February. I can't just watch him work himself to death by my side, can I?
After tapping his fingers on the table, Chongzhen sighed.
"Hua Chun, you have served me since you were a prince, for many years. You have been diligent and respectful, and your contributions are great."
His voice was calm and his tone was quite gentle. Seeing that Cao Huachun was about to kneel down to answer, he reached out and helped him up, continuing to ask with concern.
"I know you have been working hard all year round and have old ailments. However, due to the heavy burden of state affairs, I had no choice but to rely on you. Well then, today I will grant your request and allow you to return to your hometown to recuperate."
Upon hearing this, Cao Huachun's eyes reddened, and he immediately bowed and knelt down, kowtowing and choking with emotion to express his gratitude.
"This old servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness!"
"I have been fortunate enough to receive Your Majesty's kindness and care for decades, and this old servant has no way to repay it. For the rest of my life, I only wish to live peacefully in my hometown, praying for the prosperity and peace of our Great Ming Dynasty, and for Your Majesty's good health!"
Cao Huachun's weeping was indeed heartfelt, showing his deep gratitude towards Emperor Chongzhen. However, this powerful eunuch, who later held sway over the Ming Dynasty's inner court for many years after Wei Zhongxian, was even more insightful.
He held power in the inner court for many years, and his authority, if not comparable to that of Eunuch Wei in his prime, was certainly immense.
All the officials in the inner court and the generals of the nine border regions had dealings with him, and there were tacit exchanges of interests between them.
But now that the new policies have been implemented, His Majesty is to take sole control of the country, reorganize the court, and reorganize domestic affairs and the defense of the nine border regions.
It was time for him, the former number one eunuch, to make a dignified exit.
His Majesty's willingness to grant them passage is already an immense favor.
It should be understood that many things, once they reach their position, cannot be easily resolved by simply expressing loyalty.
Especially when facing an emperor determined to regain power.
For a high-ranking former official with intricate ties to the old forces destined to be purged, a dignified departure is the best possible outcome.
"Get up," Emperor Chongzhen said gently, raising his hand to help him up.
"I remember your past merits, and after you return to your hometown, I will still grant you a lifelong salary, and local officials shall not disturb you, so that you may live a peaceful old age."
"This old servant kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace!"
Cao Huachun bowed again, feeling completely at peace.
After Cao Huachun stood up and bowed his head to the side, Zhu Youjian turned his gaze to Wang Chengen, the honest man standing beside him, and his expression became solemn.
Upon seeing this, Wang Chengen felt a chill run down his spine and immediately stood up straight, awaiting the imperial edict.
"Cheng'en."
"Yes, sir!"
"Today I hereby appoint you as the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, to oversee the daily affairs of the Directorate of Ceremonial, to review memorials, to convey imperial edicts, to manage central documents, and to assist the Cabinet in handling the daily affairs of the nation."
With this imperial edict, Wang Chengen officially took over the core power of the inner court from Cao Huachun, instantly becoming the most powerful person in the Ming Dynasty's inner court.
Wang Chengen was deeply moved and quickly bowed down in gratitude.
"This servant obeys the decree!"
"This servant will certainly devote herself wholeheartedly, working diligently day and night, and will never fail Your Majesty's trust!"
Emperor Chongzhen nodded slightly.
In the current court, Yang Sichang is meticulous, proficient in government affairs, and well-versed in officialdom and finance. He is the most suitable candidate to oversee the outer court and is capable of stabilizing the overall situation of the civil officials in the court.
Within the inner court, below Cao Huachun, Wang Chengen was the most loyal and reliable, and acted with prudence. With him in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial and assisting the cabinet in handling government affairs, Chongzhen naturally felt at ease.
With internal and external affairs working in tandem, a stable political system can be formed, allowing him to extricate himself from the complexities of routine tasks, break free from the constraints of the civil officials, and concentrate on military affairs.
Not long after, Emperor Chongzhen issued another decree in a deep voice: "By my decree, Wang Dehua is appointed as the Director of the Eastern Depot, concurrently in charge of the inner court's surveillance, and in charge of all investigations, secret reports, and investigative affairs of the Eastern Depot!"
With this decree, the power-sharing structure within the inner court was thus established.
Wang Dehua was also a former retainer of Emperor Chongzhen when he was still a prince, and his loyalty was beyond question.
He was ruthless and skilled in intelligence gathering, money and grain verification, far surpassing his peers in the eunuch world.
With him in charge of the Eastern Depot, the emperor would be able to regain his eyes and ears to see the world.
Thus, the triangular balance of power within the inner court, established after Cao Huachun, was initially formed.
Wang Chengen was in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial, managing government affairs and stabilizing the inner court.
Wang Dehua was in charge of the Eastern Depot, responsible for supervision and overseeing all officials in the court and the countryside.
Gao Qiqian was sent to local areas, where he could supervise border generals, check and balance the military commanders of the regional warlords, and temporarily inspect local officials, serving as the emperor's eyes and ears.
The three men each had their own duties, were not subordinate to each other, and checked and balanced each other. They all followed the emperor's orders, and none of them could dominate or abuse their power.
Cao Huachun's dignified retirement and smooth transfer of power resulted in minimal turmoil in the court, demonstrating remarkable stability.
Just as Chongzhen was planning to further install his faction in the Ministry of Revenue, the eunuch left outside the tent reported this with a delighted expression.
"Your Majesty! Great news! A messenger from the arsenal says the new muskets have been completed ahead of schedule. Please inspect them!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen was overjoyed and immediately ordered his entourage to set off for the now-reformed Ming Dynasty Royal Arsenal.
A month ago, after personally inspecting the Ministry of Armaments in the capital, he issued an edict to reform it.
"From this day forward, the Bureau of Armory shall be reorganized into the Imperial Arsenal of the Ming Dynasty."
All registered arms craftsmen were stripped of their lowly status and incorporated into the civilian population, becoming equal to ordinary people, and were no longer bound by hereditary craftsmanship.
All artisans in the arsenal receive their full monthly salary, with more pay for more work, better performance and higher rewards. Those with superb skills and excellent output are given additional bonuses, and their salaries increase year by year.
"Master craftsmen of all departments who can improve machinery, create excellent military equipment, and meet standardized specifications will be exceptionally granted the rank of ninth-grade official..."
As the imperial edicts were issued, they shattered the shackles of humiliation that had bound the artisans of the Ming capital for centuries.
They were removed from their lowly status, received a monthly salary, and were granted official positions for their meritorious service.
This unprecedented grace caused all the artisans in the Imperial Armory to prostrate themselves in gratitude, their pent-up frustration and numbness completely dissipating.
Now they need no urging or coercion, nor do they need harsh punishments. This reform alone is enough to make them wholeheartedly manufacture weapons for the court.
Of course, Emperor Chongzhen did not expect to achieve great things overnight, relying solely on these artisans who had just escaped their lowly status to create revolutionary firearms.
He simply stood on the shoulders of giants, giving these artisans the compensation they deserved and mobilizing their labor and innovative enthusiasm to break the shackles of productivity.
According to Emperor Chongzhen's requirements, the entire new army must be equipped with standardized equipment within one year.
With no immediate problems regarding funds and supplies, the Ming Dynasty's royal arsenal, which had received substantial investment, naturally faced immense production pressure.
The first hurdle they faced was designing a completely new standard of armor and various weapons for the new armies of the two towns.
Twenty days after inspecting the first batch of musket samples delivered by the arsenal, Emperor Chongzhen made more practical demands:
"The new muskets must be able to effectively penetrate iron armor within sixty paces, accurately kill enemy soldiers, and cause penetrating wounds within eighty paces, suppressing enemy charges!"
With a range of sixty paces, it could break through iron armor, making it comparable to the mainstream heavy armor used by the elite Jurchen troops at the time.
Such a new Ming Dynasty arquebus unit, with the cooperation and protection of spearmen and wagon battalions, would be able to suppress the Jurchens with firepower in field battles or city defense.
This will completely reverse the balance of power between the Ming Dynasty's field forces and the Jurchen Eight Banners.
In terms of other weapons, equipment, and new armor, Chongzhen also set entirely new requirements:
"The standard-issue rifle has a uniform length, spearhead shape, and weight distribution. It is forged in a standardized manner throughout, and is suitable for stabbing, slashing, and parrying, as well as infantry formations and field charges."
The entire army adopted a standardized cotton armor design, with the number and thickness of the inner armor plates required to be forged to a uniform standard. The cotton armor provided both warmth and durability, and could withstand the effects of ordinary arrows and stray bullets from muskets, making it suitable for ordinary soldiers of the new army.
Other items, such as lightweight short spears, sabers, armor, and horse armor for the new cavalry, also required standardized production.
Finally, Emperor Chongzhen set "epoch-making" high standards for field artillery.
Considering the current technological limitations of Ming Dynasty craftsmen and the level of iron ore smelting, and given the need for large-scale mass production, Chongzhen ultimately decided to produce lightweight cast iron cannons:
"The new standard cast iron field guns all adopt uniform sand casting, standardize the barrel wall thickness, and abandon the old gun design that is bulky, difficult to move and has inconsistent range."
Its core parameters are defined as follows:
First, the effective killing range should reach 180 to 200 paces. Within this range, the new cannon should achieve stable trajectory, maximize killing efficiency, and be suitable for field mobility and city defense.
Second, its maximum range is no less than 300 paces, which can be used for concentrated fire and long-range suppression, enough to disrupt the enemy's formation.
Third, the cannon is of moderate weight and can be disassembled and transported by mules and horses, making it suitable for combat in the North Zhili, Shandong, Central Plains and Liaodong Plain, thus eliminating the drawback of old-style heavy artillery that can only be used for defending cities and is difficult to move in the field.
Fourth, strictly control the purity of molten iron and the thickness of the barrel wall. Each newly manufactured cannon must be engraved with the cannon maker's name and the year of manufacture to ensure that the maker's information can be traced for accountability.
Such requirements are actually quite in line with the times and do not significantly exceed the firepower level of this era.
Moreover, so-called standardized production is not a difficult task for the artisans of the Ming Dynasty.
It should be noted that as early as the pre-Qin period, the Central Plains empire had already mastered the essentials of standardized production.
The crude production of various firearms and weapons by the Ming army in the past was simply due to insufficient investment.
With the border troops not receiving their full pay, there was no way to talk about weaponry or equipment, let alone quality.
Now, Emperor Chongzhen first provided sufficient funds and provisions before setting high production standards.
The craftsmen, whose future was now tied to the quality of military equipment manufacturing, naturally had to do their utmost to produce high-quality military equipment to prove their strength and value.
Half an hour later, Emperor Chongzhen, who had already fired ten bullets at the arsenal's testing grounds, put down the newly made musket with great praise.
Seeing the thick lamellar armor, whose defenses had been breached without any doubt at a distance of sixty paces, the new army generals who had accompanied the emperor all showed joy and began to discuss among themselves.
Soon, the sound of others firing muskets echoed through the testing grounds.
Having witnessed the power of the newly made muskets firsthand, the generals of the new army were itching to take to the field and fire their own muskets.
Their excitement was broken by the sound of rapid hoofbeats coming from outside the field.
Soon, a royal guard announced loudly, "Your Majesty! A secret report from the Zhangjiakou front has arrived, delivered by urgent messenger!"
Emperor Chongzhen's eyes lit up, and he smiled as he ordered, "Bring it here."
Urgent military intelligence was soon presented to him.
Upon unfolding the secret letter, the neat handwriting and rows of numbers contained a truly awe-inspiring content.
Hong Chengchou and Li Ruolian were ordered to investigate and confiscate the properties of the eight major Shanxi merchants throughout the region. In addition to the 17 million taels of silver and 1.5 million shi of grain previously inventoried in Zhangjiakou and Datong, all the shops, warehouses, and estates of the eight merchants, which were scattered throughout Shanxi, Shaanxi, Zhili and Jiangnan, were investigated and valued.
The total value of all the properties of the eight major Shanxi merchants, when confiscated, exceeded 30 million taels of silver, 2 million shi of grain, and countless silks, medicinal herbs, ironware, and salt.
This is truly a windfall of immense wealth!
Emperor Chongzhen stared at the data on the paper in his hand, and a slight smile couldn't help but appear on his lips.
Thirty million taels of silver and two million shi of grain.
This account was neither entered into the Ministry of Revenue nor went to the capital; it was entirely under my control.
Even if the Ministry of Revenue doesn't allocate any funds or provisions in the future, he will still be able to support his new army to be stationed and fighting in the north for several years.
This money was his greatest source of confidence for his subsequent efforts to rectify official corruption and reform the military and government.